Tiki Barber - NFL MVP?

It seems the NFL MVP award discussions start up about the same time the season does in recent years. Read any opinion column in a paper or online, watch TV talk shows such as PTI or Around The Horn or listen to a radio sports show and the candidates have already being decided early on.

The all round abilities of LaDainian Tomlinson have been promoted, as has the power running and many touchdowns on Shaun Alexanders CV. Carson Palmer is having a breakthrough year for the Bengals and his name has also cropped up in the debate. Peyton Manning, the two-time MVP winner, can never be discounted also. There have been a few other candidates discussed at different points of the season though it can change depending on form. I'm not writing this piece to dismiss other players from the MVP, including those just mentioned as they are all worthy candidates but I do feel that the name of New York Giants running back Tiki Barber needs to be on the ballot.

Barber has always had the underrated tag thrown at him. In some ways, it has been deserved because he is a guy who just goes out, does his job and doesn't get the press that an LT or Alexander does but in some ways that tag has also being unfair. It stems back to people not believing he is a back capable of carrying the load. When the Giants drafted him, he was used as a 'scat-back' type, a change of pace runner who was a useful receiver out of the backfield and also a weapon on returns. It seemed the Giants had tried to get themselves another Dave Meggett who had been a player for the Giants in the early 90's who performed a role similar to the one just described.